Housing Diversity Strategy

Over the next 20 years the established suburbs of Lalor, Thomastown, Mill Park, Epping, Bundoora, parts of South Morang and Whittlesea Township are forecast to change, resulting in the need for a greater range of housing types.

The Housing Diversity Strategy will ensure there is a greater choice of housing available to residents in these suburbs and that housing growth occurs in the right way and in appropriate locations.

Adopted in December 2013, this strategy:

identifies the mix of housing types required to cater for changing household types

establishes preferred locations for housing growth close to public transport and services

identifies Housing Change Areas to provide the community with greater certainty regarding the extent of change to be expected in different parts of the municipality

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Housing Change Areas

The Housing Change Areas describe the level and type of housing growth and change for each area and are based on a capacity assessment of accessibility to services and facilities, as well as physical and site attributes.

The Housing Diversity Strategy identifies the following Housing Change Areas:

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Reformed Residential Zones

In July 2013, the State Government introduced Reformed Residential Zones which include:

Residential Growth Zone

General Residential Zone

Neighbourhood Residential Zone

Council's were given until July 2014 to transition the existing residential zones to the new Reformed Residential Zones.

The new zones provide councils with the ability to identify preferred locations for housing growth (including areas where intensification should not occur) and apply local variations to the zone schedules to articulate preferred housing types and design.

The Housing Change Areas identified in the Strategy will inform Council's transition to the RRZ in the established residential areas of the municipality.

Implementation

Implementation of the Housing Diversity Strategy will include 2 Planning Scheme Amendments.

Stage 1 - Planning Scheme Amendment (Amendment C181)

This first amendment implements the Housing Change Areas into the Whittlesea Planning Scheme in the form of the Reformed Residential Zones.

From 13 March to 14 April 2014, the community was invited to submit feedback on the proposed amendment.

Following that, Amendment C181 underwent a public hearing process conducted by the Residential Zones Standing Advisory Committee, which resulted in their recommendations to the Minister for Planning and the subsequent approval by the Minister with variations on 22 October 2015.

Stage 2 - Planning Scheme Amendment - current stage

Following the outcome of Amendment C181, suitable statutory tools for the Stage 2 implementation of the HDS will be determined in consultation with the Department Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

The options for statutory tools could include zone schedule variations, the development of a local planning policy and/or residential design guidelines.